To inspire, educate and engage your local community, write a letter to the editor (LTE). Everyone reads them! Warning: you may experience a sudden rush of fame ... For sample letters, see below

1. Find out the word limit and any other criteria for submission.

2. Make your letter timely; tie it to a recent article or submit a letter announcing an event — a Mother’s Day Parade for instance.

3. Always write for something rather than against. Avoid polarizing, righteous language and be respectful. No one can listen when defensive.

4. Keep the tone and style of your letter passionate, personal, positive and persuasive (pithy is also good.)

5. Start your letter with a brief introduction into the issue that you are concerned about. Then state the reason why YOU, in particular, are writing about it. Make one or two points and give the stat or other RELEVANT fact to back them up, if applicable.

6. Provide a SIMPLE action for your community to take together with the necessary information (Minister X's telephone number for example)

7. Remember to include your contact information — your own (name, address, phone, although only your name will be published) and any information necessary to take the action.

8. Follow up: Contact the editorial staff to see if they've received your letter, a good way to bring it to the top of the stack. To get published you have to be persistent.

9. Amplify your letter in the following ways: send it to more than one paper (including your local paper), send a copy of the published letter to your MP and to MAU Central so we can add it to the published letter file.